Empowering women and promoting gender equality  in the workplace  in Iraq  

Project activities 

• Training and education for trade union representatives from different sectors on women’s rights, national legislation, the Iraqi Labour Code, and international labour standards including Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment. 

• Publication and dissemination of a booklet on the Iraqi Labour Code 

• Setting up of study circles by trained trade union representatives with support from the General Federation of Iraqi Trade Unions. 

• Funding training for one trade union representative at the ITUC’s Organising Academy, Tunis. 

• Distribution of educational materials about women’s rights and tackling violence and harassment. 

• Building a network of activists to promote women’s rights in the workplace and wider community. 

• Produce videos challenging violence and harassment to share on social media. 

Project outcomes

• Training materials covering e.g. women’s rights, coronavirus and eliminating violence against women, stopping sexual harassment at work, national legislation, ILO standards (including Convention 190) and health and safety,  were developed.  

• 33 trade unionists (28 women and 5 men) from different sectors were trained through two workshops, using the aforementioned training materials. 

• Following the training, 15 female participants were elected into leadership positions in their unions. 

• 3000 copies of a booklet on the Iraqi Labour Code were produced and used during the training, in study circles (see below) and distributed in workplaces.  

• The project funded one female trade unionist to take part in the ITUC’s Organising Academy in Tunis. 

• Study circles, led by training participants, took place in ten governates and reached 200-300 women in diverse sectors including textiles, transport, mechanics and ports. Discussions included Iraqi labour law, women’s rights and tackling gender-based violence. 

• More than 150 women were organised into unions.  

• GFITU mobilised unions in Baghdad and the provinces to carry out an awareness raising campaign to tackle violence against women and to promote women’s rights – this involved producing 1000 posters, and videos to use on social media.  

Video testimonials from the project:

Graphic design from the project